Brother, You're Mistaken (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 14
Ah, that was just a typo. Not “company dinner,” but “reply.” So, I guess there’s really no need to hold a company dinner after all.
I should’ve said it that clearly from the start.
“Only the two of us…?”
“Well, who else is here besides you?”
Flustered and stammering, Hye Ju—unwittingly led around by the nose by Joo Won—found herself already inside a grilled pork intestine restaurant.
“President, two servings of grilled spicy pork intestines and one bottle of soju!”
And that wasn’t all. The moment she sat down, as if spellbound, she’d already placed their order.
It was all because of this grilled spicy pork. How could he have known so precisely about her palate—someone who went crazy for anything spicy—and picked this exact place for a dinner? It was downright infuriating.
Only after finishing the order did she feel the weight of his gaze, arms crossed, watching her silently. Embarrassed, Hye Ju fiddled absentmindedly with the macaroni on the table, pretending to be busy.
“I read your email.”
Hye Ju replied distractedly, still making meaningless motions with her chopsticks.
“Yes, I figured you would’ve.”
“Good job.”
Hye Ju paused.
It was the first time she’d ever received praise from Kang Joo Won. It wasn’t anything grand—just a simple, understated remark—but that made it all the more unmistakably his kind of compliment.
“If we close the deal with Tae Yang Foods, we’ll exceed this year’s target performance by over 120 percent. Since it’s an annual contract, if handled well, we could even surpass that.”
“Right? That’s exactly why I reached out in the first place—I anticipated all that.”
“How did you even think of submitting a proposal to Tae Yang Foods?”
“My dad always packed my lunchbox when I was growing up. He’d always include Tae Yang seaweed in it.”
Hye Ju swallowed a bite of macaroni and continued.
“After moving to Seoul, I often craved that taste and tried buying it several times, but it’s hardly ever in stores. Whenever I asked, they’d say they stopped supplying it a few years ago due to poor sales. I don’t even remember seeing it in our company cafeteria.”
“So despite being the number-one exporter of seasoned seaweed overseas, they’re struggling domestically—that makes sense.”
“Yes! That’s exactly the point I wanted to highlight.”
Hye Ju’s eyes sparkled brightly.
“I kept wondering why. I honestly couldn’t figure it out. The taste is great, the packaging is neat, and the brand recognition is there. If it tasted bad, I’d understand—but to me, it’s far tastier than the so-called industry-leading seaweed.”
“Hmm.”
“Unexplained sales decline… Maybe even Tae Yang Foods doesn’t know the reason. Maybe they’re the ones most curious about it.”
Joo Won listened intently, arms still crossed. Normally, she seemed as lazy as a sloth—but seeing her eyes gleam like this made his heart race strangely. They say passion is contagious—is that really true?
“It only makes sense to ask consumers directly. So I proposed we do just that—together with DataS Korea!”
Hye Ju clenched her fist enthusiastically.
She was clearly trying her best to look determined, but her tiny fist only made her look adorable. Joo Won barely suppressed a laugh and teased her instead.
“Even a grub knows how to roll—turns out you pulled off something impressive.”
Joo Won suddenly recalled the employee performance reviews he’d gone through after joining the company. While most staff had earned good evaluations thanks to the company’s steady upward growth, Hye Ju’s performance had clearly stood out above the rest. She’d received an A-rating every single year without fail since her first day four years ago.
“Now it finally makes sense.”
In that moment, Oh Hye Ju—the clumsy, scatterbrained girl—suddenly seemed different.
“A grub? That’s harsh! My dad would clutch his chest and faint if he heard that.”
“Since your dad’s homemade seaweed did all the heavy lifting, tell him I’ll treat him to the bonus myself once the contract goes through.”
“Oh, he’d jump right back up if he heard that! You’ll give him a generous one, right?”
“Depends on how you behave.”
Hye Ju clasped her hands together dreamily.
“I hope everything goes smoothly with the contract. They said they’d decide after an initial meeting.”
“I’ll schedule the meeting first thing tomorrow.”
“You’ll handle it personally?”
“I need to sharpen my hands-on skills.”
Did that mean they’d be working together on the Tae Yang Foods project from now on? Having the CEO directly involved would certainly speed things up—but handling it just the two of them felt… a bit too much.
“But why did you suddenly suggest a company dinner? You knew that email was a typo.”
Feeling awkward, Hye Ju quickly changed the subject before the words “this is burdensome” could slip out. No matter how comfortable they were, as a mere employee, she couldn’t tell the CEO what to do.
Joo Won’s reply caught her off guard.
“Because I feel bad.”
“Did you do something wrong to me?”
Hye Ju stared at him, eyes wide.
“Guess.”
Joo Won tilted his chin slightly and smiled.
His long eyes softened gently. His sparkling eyes—like they held countless stars—peeked out from beneath his eyelids, and his red lips traced a graceful curve. For a moment, Hye Ju thought the sight was blindingly bright.
“Um… uh…”
“If you guess right, I’ll give you a present.”
Forget about presents—her mind went completely blank.
That smile. That face.
It wasn’t the first time she’d seen Kang Joo Won smile in front of her.
But…
Why was her heart pounding like she’d just encountered a masterpiece of art for the very first time?
A few hours earlier.
It was the perfect afternoon for a coffee when Seung Won showed up at the CEO’s office. Joo Won, unusually welcoming, greeted him the moment he saw him holding an iced Americano in one hand and a vanilla latte in the other.
“What’s this sudden act of kindness? Sit down.”
Joo Won had been thirsty anyway, so he immediately pulled the iced Americano from the carrier and took his seat. Naturally, Seung Won placed the vanilla latte in front of himself.
Though they worked at the same company, this was the first time the two brothers had sat face-to-face like this. Since development team meetings usually took place in the main conference room, Seung Won rarely had reason to visit the CEO’s office unless he came specifically. Curious about his older brother’s new space, Seung Won glanced around.
“The interior’s changed a bit since the move. You didn’t do any major renovation, but the vibe feels completely different.”
“Really? What was it like before?”
“Less sterile than it is now.”
So much for hoping he’d say it looked cleaner now.
He’d poured so much labor into removing that human-height potted plant, those tacky paintings, and all the clutter the previous CEO had left behind—only to get this response.
“Why don’t you bring back some plants or artwork or something? Right now it feels like a model home.”
Since when was it a rule to bring back the things you just threw out?
“Never mind. Cluttering it up would just make me anxious.”
“But still—”
“It’s my office, so I’ll handle it myself. Drop it. Did you come just to bring coffee?”
Joo Won clicked his tongue in exasperation at his brother’s questionable taste. After a moment’s hesitation, Seung Won spoke up.
“It’s about the sweater.”
Joo Won instantly thought of Hye Ju.
“The blue one?”
“Yeah. I heard Hye Ju accidentally put it in the dryer, so you made her buy you a new one.”
“That’s right.”
“Did you really need to accept a replacement?”
Caught off guard by the question, Joo Won was slightly surprised.
He hadn’t insisted on getting a new sweater—he’d just casually agreed because Hye Ju offered. Truthfully, he wouldn’t have cared even if she hadn’t replaced it. He’d been swamped with work when she came by anyway.
“I never asked for it back. Since when do I care about clothes?”
“I know you don’t care much about clothes. You barely shop unless it’s something Mom sent you. That’s exactly why I’m bringing this up.”
“Did Oh Hye Ju say something?”
“Hye Ju didn’t say a word. I’m just upset on her behalf.”
Why should you be upset over Oh Hye Ju’s affairs? Annoyed by the comment, Joo Won’s eyebrow twitched.
Seung Won took a sip of his vanilla latte before continuing.
“You might not realize this, but Hye Ju isn’t exactly well-off. With her fixed salary, after paying rent and living expenses, there’s hardly anything left.”
“…”
“Besides, even an average person wouldn’t imagine a single sweater could cost over a million won. It’s not that you did anything wrong by accepting the new one—but since it clearly wasn’t that important to you, it would’ve been nicer to just let it go. That’s all I’m saying.”
Hearing this unexpected perspective from Seung Won made Joo Won reflect deeply.
The Kang family was famously stubborn—if they set their mind to something, they saw it through. But despite that, Joo Won was still capable of self-reflection and consideration.
Which was why he was now sitting across from Hye Ju, grilling spicy pork intestines.
“So in the end, I got scolded by Seung Won?”
Hearing Joo Won’s explanation, Hye Ju let out a wry laugh. Someone had agonized over losing an amount exceeding two months’ rent, while someone else remained blissfully carefree.
She’d never envied others’ lives before—she was content with ordinary things—but at this very moment, she couldn’t help but envy Kang Joo Won’s indifference toward money.
“Even if Seung Won had said a hundred things, I wouldn’t have come if I hadn’t felt like it myself.”
Joo Won’s low, serious eyes met Hye Ju’s.
“Both Seung Won and I are self-centered. Our perspectives on life aren’t exactly broad.”
“Is that a Kang family trait?”
“Can’t say it isn’t.”
Joo Won chuckled softly as he ran his fingers along his cup.
“I’ve been thinking.”
“About what?”
“If I returned that money… would you take it?”
Hye Ju immediately shook her head.
“I have no reason to. It’s not like I was scammed or anything.”
“I figured as much.”
“Ah, now I get it. You felt bad, so you invited me out for drinks? Come on, treating me to just one drink for 1.27 million won is way too cheap.”
“Who said I’d only buy one drink?”
“Then…?”
“I’ll treat you to 1.27 million won worth.”
His offer made Hye Ju’s eyes sparkle. She never turned down a drinking session—especially when paired with delicious food.
“Do I have to spend it all today?”
Watching her mind race with calculations, Joo Won smiled gently.
“I’ll give you a one-year expiration.”
“Really? No backing out saying you’re busy or don’t have time. Understood?”
“Unless it’s something extremely important, my wallet’s always open.”
“Then I’ll happily mooch off you for the whole year. Thanks in advance.”
Joo Won gazed quietly at Hye Ju’s beaming face. Her cheeks, flushed from the charcoal heat, looked as lovely as ripe peaches.
As she fiddled with the well-grilled intestines, Hye Ju said,
“This spicy grilled pork makes me think of Kang Seung Won. He’s a spice killer too.”
Why bring up Kang Seung Won now, of all times?
Her casual remark felt like a grain of sand—tiny but irritatingly scratchy.
Joo Won looked down at his clean plate. Truthfully, he couldn’t handle spicy food well. He’d only come here because Hye Ju recommended it.
Did she even realize he hadn’t touched the food?
“Has Kang Seung Won left work yet? If he’s still at the office, should I call him?”
“No need.”
“It’s dinner time anyway. If we invite Da Hee too, she’d probably come right away. This place is our favorite grilled intestine spot, after all.”
“I said no.”
Something felt odd. No matter what they talked about, it always circled back to Kang Seung Won.
They weren’t the type to gossip about trivialities—but they could talk endlessly about other things: whether we prefer spicy or plain grilled intestines, soju or beer, or even office matters.
So why did Oh Hye Ju keep bringing up Kang Seung Won?
“Let’s play a game.”
He felt strangely uncomfortable, though he couldn’t pinpoint why. He just didn’t like hearing her mention other men—even if it was his own brother.
“A drinking game? Sure! What should we play?”
“Taboo Word.”
“Oh, the game where we each pick a forbidden word, and whoever says it has to drink?”
“Exactly.”
Me, Kang Joo Won. The guy who almost joined the Special Forces.
The guy who muttered “If it’s not possible, make it possible” in his sleep dozens of times.
“I’ll go first.”
Joo Won locked eyes with Hye Ju, who was brimming with anticipation, and parted his lips.
“Kang Seung Won.”
“…Kang Seung Won?”
Stunned by the unexpected word, Hye Ju’s eyes widened in shock.
Male lead is a Love-Obsessed Merman
When he discovers she has gone, he risks everything to pursue her on land, enduring agonizing pain to transform his tail into human legs…
One-line summary: Male lead chases female lead. The male lead’s love is a bit sick, an invincible love brain.
Synopsis
During a voyage at sea, Jiang Yang accidentally captures a merman.
Servant: I heard that mermen are fierce and brutal.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman obediently rubbing her palm like a puppy: “You call this fierce and brutal?”
Servant: I heard that mermen have no human nature.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman with wet puppy eyes, obsessively calling her ‘A Yang’ like a childish infant: “You call this having no human nature?”
With great difficulty, she releases the merman back into the sea and returns to shore.
Who would have thought that in less than half a month, the merman, who should have been freely wandering in the South China Sea, would shed his scales, endure the pain of losing his tail, transform into human legs, and come ashore to find her?
He kneels at her feet, rubbing her palm, with merman tears rolling down: “A Yang, don’t abandon me.”
_____
Please help me, I want to bring you the best possible things.
If you find any chapter or novel with poor translation and editing quality, let me know by commenting directly under that novel or chapter. I will retranslate it as soon as possible.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
Most Commented This Week
The Villain Has Gone Mad For Me (Completed Main Story)
I’m The Lowest-Ranking Daughter Of A Martial Arts Villain (2 Chapters Left to Complete)
I Became the Assassin Family’s Foster Daughter (Completed Main Story)
The Duke Only Needs My Child (Completed Main Story)
Men of the Harem (137 Chapters Left to Complete)
At the End of Ruin, There You Are (56 Chapters Left to Complete)
She’s a Villainess but her Husband is Handsome (Completed Main Story)
People Aren’t Meant to Be Fixed! (4 Chapters Left to Complete)
My Discarded Fiancé Returned (Completed Main Story)
Summer Must Die (16 Chapters Left to Complete)
I Received The First Time Of My Extraordinary Superior (9 Chapters Left to Complete)
Regret With All Your Might (Completed Main Story)